Witjvessjss



(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 1.

R. M. PRYER.

AUXILIARY PROPELLING DEVICE.

No. 583,740. Patented June 1,1897.

WITNESSES wormu'ma, wasnmamu. u. c,

3 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.)

B. M. PRYER.

AUXILIARY PROPELLING DEVICE.

N0. 583,740. Patented June 1,1897.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

R. M. PRYER.

AUXILIARY PROPBLLING DEVICE. No. 583,740. Patented June 1.1897.

u I l N it? F WITNESSES- D/VENTOR.

f4 1 r a =1 ll Q UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

ROBERT M. FRYER, OF WVASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO WVILLIAM O. AVERY, OF SAME PLACE.

AUXILIARY PROPELLING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 583,740, dated June 1,1897.

Application filed August 18, 1896. Serial No. 603,153. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ROBERT M. FRYER, of Washington, District ofColumbia, have invented a new and useful Device for the Propulsion ofVessels, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to overcome the dangers and difficultiesmet with in the operation of vessels in absence of other means forpropelling or steering such vessels when from any cause the expedientsoriginally de signed for that purpose become disabled or ineffective, aswith sailing vessels in absence of wind, or in any vessel with thebreakage of a rudder, or in steam vessels, as with the breakage ofpropeller or its shaft.

The further object of the invention is to provide for the above purposean apparatus which shall be inexpensive and easy of adjustment.

This invention consists, primarily, of a motor-case of peculiarconstruction and means for securing it to the vessel in such a manner asto adapt it to meet the various conditions found under circumstanceswhere such a device would be most needed. The case or chamber hereinreferred to is preferably cylindrical in form and no larger in any ofits proportions than would be necessary to form a circular electricmotor or a rotary engine of sufficient capacity to carry out the objectsof the invention. Attached to each end of this central field or cylinderis a conical or tapering chamber, so that when all these parts areunited the apparatus has the appearance of a double cone with basesunited at the center. The displacement thus created is calculated to alittle more than balance the weight of the structure in the water, sothat if accidentally lost overboard it would not sink. Otherwise itmight be made heavier than water with no evil effect so far as workingqualities are concerned. Attached to the upper portion of the centralchamber or cylinder is a transverse, lever preferably in the shape of ahollow rod or pipe, so as to admit of receiving conducting-wires orpneumatic pipes to and from the motor or engine, as hereinafter morefully described. Leading from the motor or engine here is a commonpropellershaftwhich connects with a propeller-wheel at one of itsconical ends, or the said shaft may be extended through both conicalends and a propeller-wheel attached theretoat the two extremities ofsaid conical chambers. It will be readily seen that the action of thepropeller Wheel or wheels here would tend to revolve the chambers,connected as they are and furnishing the rotary power from within, andto overcome this action comparatively heavy ballast would need to beused; but with the use of the transverse lever herein referred to,which, besides being securely fastened to the central cylinder, islikewise fastened to the side of the vessel and conveys to thispropelling device all of the needed electricity or other power-givingfluid to drive it, there is here produced an apparatus for propulsion aslight and simple of construction as it is possible to design within thescope of known forces.

Referring to my drawings, Figure l represents the principal fixtures ofthe apparatus,

for which purpose this View is made partially in perspective, partiallyin outline, and partiallyin dotted lines. The motor herein shown may bereplaced by any other suitable driving device, preferably, however, by apneumatic rotary engine, one form of which is shown in Fig. 6 hereof.Fig. 2 is an outline view of the apparatus herein described with conicalends proportionately shorter than shown in Fig. 1, but with power thesamethat is, the center cylinder is the same and may be increased inlength to receive additional motors to increase the power of the devicewithout making the diameter here any greater. Fig. 3 represents in.skeleton form various parts in readiness for the attachment of anelectrical motor or other driving machinery for the shaft and wheelherein indicated. Fig. 4 is a sectional representation of one of theconical or tapering ends detached from the central chamber or case, towhich it is readily secured by screw-threads, as shown in Fig. 1, or byany other suitable means. In this view it will be observed that thewheel-shaft is or may be independently carried within this cone, leavingthe center case to support only that section of the shaft which carrieseither of its ends.

the armature or rotary piston, if need be, the two shafts or sections tobecome united only when they are brought together. Fig. 5 represents asimilar conical end, except that here the shaft is dispensed with. Itshould, however, be here stated that both conical extensions of thecentral chamber may be identical and both carry a drivingshaft andpropellerwl1eel. lVhen this is not done in practice, the opposite coneshould be made heavy enough to balance the wheel and shaft of thedriving end and other parts therewith connected. Fig. (5 represents intransverse section a common rotary engine composed of a cylinder withina cylinder and a traverse-plate to reciprocate through the center ofshaft-cylinder. The secondary cylinder is located in an eccentricposition within the fori'ner, as shown. lVhen pressure is here appliedon either side of the protruding portion of the plate, the innercylinder, which is united with the driving-shaft, moves in the oppositedirection, and vice versa. The pneumatic pressure used in this operationis brought in and discharged through the pipes M and N. By a shift ofpressure from one to the other, while the opposite pipe acts as theexhaust-passage, this engine will be reversed in its action at thepleasure of the operator. \Vhile this description entered here to showthe action of a rotary engine in one of its simplest forms, withoutclaims to economy in this construction. Fig. 7 is a representation ofthe device herein described as applied to an ordinary sailing vessel atdiflerent places, wherein it will be seen that with the same relativeparts the apparatus is adjusted to either side of the vessel or to Atthe bow it can be made to drag the boat along in any direction, as atthe stern it can force it, while by adjusting one of the devices to eachside of a vessel, being able to reverse as they are, such vessel bepractically converted into'a twin screw propeller of moderate power atvery little cost.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in detail, A is the central orpower chamber, wherein the electrical motor or rotary engine is located.

13 represents a lever, preferably hollow an d telescopic, attached tothe upper part of chamber A for preventing rotation of the same, and inconnection with twin rods M and N fastens the propelling device hereindescribed to the vessel by any suitable rigging, for which purpose eyesare provided at the upper end of said rods, as shown.

C and C represent yokes for the support of shaft D, and for theconvenience of handling parts are preferably made adjustable on the endfaces of chamber A, which arrangement admits of making this part of thedevice of composition metal, to the flange of which the conical chambersE and E may then be fastened by screw-threads. (Not shown.) All chambershere are designed to be of cast metal,

so as to insure accuracy of fit and cheapness of construction, renderingall parts interchangeable of character.

K and L indicate electrical conductingwires, and M and N indicate pipesfor the supply and discharge of either electricity or pneumaticpressure, whichever fluid may be used to correspond with the characterof motor herein used for the rotation of propellerwheels I I by means ofshaft D, as already described, which shaft is provided with astuffing-box O to prevent the water from fol lowing. the same to eitherof the chambers.

P represents a coupling between D and D,

which unites these two sections of the driving-shaf t when the conicalchamber carrying section D issecu red to chamber A.

R represents a cylindrical chamber within chamber A, which is eccentricthereto and also with inner cylinder or shaft S, which it surrounds toform a rotary engine in connect-ion with traverse-plate T and properopenings, as shown. This device is designed to revolve the driving-shaftD D by pneumatic or other pressure when the electrical motor isdispensed with.

F represents an adjustable point to be used in the end of one of theconical chambers when the driving-shaft is not made to pass through thesame.

Operation: Now that specially-driven dynamos are in common use, as arepneumatic pumps and receivers for air and other gases under highpressures, and whereas most large and many small vessels carrysteam-generatin g boilers, it would cost very little comparatively tolit out all such vessels with a special dynamo and storage battery orpneumatic pump and receiver, together with one or more of the auxiliarydevices herein described, whereby in case of need such device could belowered from the vessel by ordinary davits or could be thrown overboardand then attached to the vessel (at the most convenient place selected)by the three members herein marked B, M, and N, after which by theapplication of either power for which the apparatus is designed,electrical or pneumatic, the vessel to which it is thus attached couldbe propelled, stopped, backed, or steered in any desired course withoutthe use of any other force or expedient, and as soon as the vessel thushandled is overtaken with favorable winds or any other regular mode ofpropulsion comes to hand of a preferable nature the device here used canbe easily taken on board or allowed to occupy any other place where itwill not drag in the water to impede progress, as would be the case ifsuch a device ever became a fixture to the vessel, while other powerstended to drive such vessel faster than the device is calculated totravel.

It will be seen from the drawings in this case that whether theapparatus is attached to the side or at either end of the vessel thethree rods or bars above referred to as B, M, and N furnish adequatemeans for fastening in connection with the common rigging and by theordinary workmen found on such vessels wherever in commission.

Having thus described my invention, what I here claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. An auxiliary propelling device consisting of an oblong or cylindricalchamber containing an electrical or other motor, a propeller-wheeldriven by such motor, and a lateral shaft, lever or other suitableconnection between said chamber and vessel to keep the chamber in placeand to prevent rotation of the same, with means conveyed through saidconnections for supplying electricity or pneumatic pressure to the motorfor its operation substantially as and for the purposes above set forth.

2. An auxiliary propeller for vessels, the same comprehending a motor, ashaft to be driven thereby, a screw or propeller Wheel on said shaft, acase inclosing the motor and provided with bearings for the shaft, and alaterally-extending tube or pipe adapted to be connected with a vesselto convey or con duct motive power to the motor, as, and for thepurpose, described.

3. In an auxiliary propelling device a conical-ended chamber, inclosingan electrical or other motor for the operation of a propeller wheel, orwheels, combined with a telescopic lateral bar or tube as a means foradjusting the propelling device to the water in connection with vesselsof different heights of freeboard, to prevent the said chamber frombeing revolved by the action of the screw-propeller as herein shown anddescribed.

4. An auxiliary propeller for vessels, the

same comprehending a motor, a shaft to be driven thereby, and a screw orpropeller wheel 0 on said shaft, a double-cone-shaped casing inclosingthe motor, and a laterally-extending tube or pipe projecting from thecasing and adapted to be connected with a vessel for conveying motivepower to the motor from 15 the interior of the vessel.

5. In an auxiliary propelling device a conical-ended chamber, inclosingan electrical or other motor for the operation of a screw-propeller, alateral bar or pipe attached to said chamber-and to the vessel withwhich it is to operate-with radial bars or rods fastened to andextending from the lateral bar or pipe to the vessel for the purpose ofrelieving said lateral bar of strain that would otherwise be brought tobear thereon during its operation of moving the vessel, in the mannerset forth.

6. The combination with a ship or vessel, of a detachable propellingdevice consisting of an incased motor, a shaft to'be driven therebyextending through the casing, and a screw or propeller wheel on theprojecting end of said shaft, a pipe or tube extending laterally fromthe casin g containing the motor and adapted to be separably connectedwith the vessel, the said pipe or tube serving to convey or conductmotive power to the motor, and stays or braces between the vessel andsaid casing for holding the latter in working position.

In testimony whereof I hereuntosubscribe 7o myname in presence of twowitnesses.

ROBT. M. FRYER.

Witnesses:

GEo. BITTER, Ross L. FRYER.

